Prophecy of the Dark Moon
by DarkImperialPrincess
Summary: Nehellenia is the younger sister of Serenity, Queen to be of the Moon. When her mother, Selenity, Queen of the Silver Millennium, is murdered when she is just a child and the Ginzoushou marks in her the most terrible of ways, she falls slowly into madness. The Dark Side of the Moon beckons her but can she resist the call to Chaos? Prequel to Prophecy of the White Moon.
1. Prologue

Prophecy of the Dark Moon

* * *

**Prologue**  
**~*~**

The darkness rumbled as the smooth edges of her prison shook and disturbed her slumber. She growled in response as her world continued to shake but soon the blackness began to dim as a glowing light illuminated her cell. She scurried off into the corner where the darkness still prevailed but she moaned when she tasted the light. It was a familiar torment, one that plagued her when a new heir to the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou was born.

She hissed in anger at the constant reminder of the power she was denied. Once she had ruled the Universe and everyone knew her name but after a millennium of confinement her name faded away into annals of the history books. The curved walls of her prison were a constant reminder that she had lost the war against the Senshi long ago.

As the light helped birth more star seeds, these new ones filled with hope, justice and love, she crept out of the darkness to revel in the whiteness. This was the power that she was due, the power that she deserved. Those of the White Moon denied her inheritance every time a new crystal bearer was born. Yet one star seed called to her and she slithered closer to the brilliance.

She was surprised to feel her dark energy rising in response to the silvery light. Not since her imprisonment had she been able to manipulate her powers to do her bidding yet this time she was able to infuse her darkness into the newly born star seed. She surrounded it and gave it shape, pouring her desire to rule the White Moon into it. She sent it off with a thought and a destination.

_Soon_, she thought as she watched it pass through the invisible barrier that separated her from her rightful kingdom. _My heir will ready my empire for my return…_

* * *

**9 Months Later**  
**~*~**

Sunlight slanted down into the warm cocoon of a room. It was painted with blues and purples and blacks yet felt surprisingly lustrous despite the dark colors. It was in stark contrast to the silvery hues of the rest of the palace but it suited the slumbering occupant within. She yawned widely as she stretched out her fists over her head before falling back into a sleepy stupor. A well-shaped hand reached down to stroke the tuffs of black curls as she smiled in her sleep.

Selenity Celestine IV, High Queen of the Moon and Silver Millennium, smiled softly at the visage of her second daughter. The birth had been hard but it was worth it to see the little face calm with slumber. She was like any doting mother; counting her tiny little fingers and toes, laughing along with the little gurgles and smiling in response to the toothless grins. Her fingers continued to stroke the fine black fuzz that adorned her daughter's skull when suddenly she was stricken with a thought of foreboding, the room becoming darker. She shook her head to dispel the thought and the sunlight gleamed once more.

"Selenity-sama," came a studious voice from behind. She turned and smiled radiantly as the Queen of Mercury, her Royal Physician, entered with a squealing child. She laughed as the little girl reached for her and took her into her arms and swung her around.

"My Serenity!" she cooed as she snuggled the baby deeper into her arms.

She held her first born daughter and marveled at blessings of her life. Two healthy daughters, a thriving kingdom and a husband who doted on her. Almost one thousand years of peace was nothing compared to the tranquility that her little family gave her. Serenity tangled her hands in her mother's silver odango tails and shrieked in triumph as she yanked on them as Selenity laughed with her and kissed her nose. She extricated herself from her young daughter's plump hands and shushed her before bringing her over to the occupied bassinet.

"Serenity," the Queen said solemnly as the Queen of Mercury looked on with a fond smile. "I want you to meet someone. This is your sister, Nehellenia."

Bright blue eyes peeked out behind pale pink bangs as she regarded the little sleeping thing in the crib. She tilted her head to the side as though she was contemplating her but her face suddenly crumpled and she began to wail. Selenity tried to shush her but she was soon screeching. Nehellenia woke with a cry and added her song into the symphony of shrieks. The Queen of Mercury rushed to take Serenity from her and left as Selenity took Nehellenia into her arms and hummed soothingly.

"Hush, my dear heart," she murmured as she rocked her back and forth. "I know it was an eventful meeting, my little Nehellenia, but soon you and your sister will be together forever. You do not know it now, but I know you two will be the best of friends."

The baby quieted until she was once again snoring and the Queen placed her back in the bassinet. She covered Nehellenia with a deep purple coverlet and stroked her black curls once more. She was beyond happy that she provided her Serenity a sister. The young Queen-to-be needed someone she could depend on and lean on for support. Yes, she thought as she continued to caress her dark curls. The two young princesses would be the best of friends indeed.

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Part 1 - Sisters

**Part 1- Sisters**  
**~*~**

* * *

**Nehellenia**  
**~*~**

Her first memories were always of her mother. Memories of laughter and radiant smiles, of her name being said in utter joy and embraces so warm it would make her weep. She was her rock and anchor, her guiding light in the darkness of her world. Her sister traveled in the brightness but she felt more at home in the muted colors of the Moon. It was only her mother that could bridge the two worlds and bring her into the light.

She spent most of her time alone in the low plains of the Moon close to the equator that separated the White Moon from the Dark Moon. Children whispered stories of monstrous beasts that roamed the dark tundra but she felt a homecoming whenever she stared into the black abyss. Still, the threat of monsters was enough to scare a young child away from taking that last step into the darkness.

She was a precocious child yet she knew she was different. She was not the same as the radiant people who flowed in and out of the court of the Moon. It was as though they were surrounded by brilliant auras while her own was a flowing river of black. Yet she was happy as a girl like her could be.

Her mother was mostly the source of that happiness. Nehellenia spent long hours with her, aiding her in queenly duties while her sister played with her fellow Princesses of the Silver Millennium. She had never felt welcome in that little group, although Serenity did try to invite her along. Yet even she treated her differently, even though they were as close as sisters could be. Her glowing aura far outshone hers.

Serenity was as fair as Nehellenia was dark. She wore her pale pink hair in the royal odangos, a bun perched on each side of her head with two long tails while she wore her own long hair mostly down, her own odangos round balls in the sea of her dark curls. Her amber eyes were in stark contrast to Serenity's bright blue but they saw further and deeper than her silver sister could ever see.

Still she ever trotted along after her elder sister, wishing she would be accepted into her golden circle, her ten-year-old yearnings clearly marked on her face as she gazed adoringly at Serenity. Her fellow princesses followed closely behind but soon circled her when Serenity was called away by their mother. Their faces were masks of polite courtesy until the last of the courtiers' floated from the room and their faces contorted.

"Nehellenia-hime, why aren't _you_ studying with Selenity-sama?" Discordia Ignacia, Princess of Mars, sneered. The other two tittered while the blue haired Princess of Mercury looked visibly uncomfortable. Nehellenia lifted her chin slightly before answering.

"Mama-sama is teaching Serenity-hime her duties as the future Queen. Even I know that there are things that she will learn that I will not."

"Of course, as the throwaway princess you already know your place," Sylanna Cinxia, Princess of Jupiter, said sweetly. Nehellenia visibly paled.

"W-what does that mean?" she stammered. Astarte Lubentina tucked a pale blond strand behind her ear as she stared at the young Princess of the Moon, honeyed venom in her eyes while Meditrina Carmenta cleared her throat.

"Astarte…" the Suiseian Princess murmured before Astarte cut her off.

"You're not needed, Nehellenia-hime," the Princess of Venus purred, putting her hand on her shoulder and gripped her hard. "With Serenity primed to be the next bearer of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, there's no need for you."

Nehellenia gasped and broke free of the elder girl's grip. Tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to overflow as she turned on her heel and ran, laughter spurring her heels. She ran down the silvery corridors, past startled courtiers and servants alike, before she burst through the palatial doors and out into the Lunarian night.

Her feet fairly flew as she crossed the palace grounds and found herself once again at the boundary that separated the White from the Dark Moon. Nehellenia sank to her knees as she sobbed, her shoulders shaking as her little girl heart broke. A faint breeze caressed her cheek, the scent of sugary spices surrounding her, yet a dark aroma of decay was hidden within its midst.

_Children can be so cruel_, whispered a voice in her head. Nehellenia's head whipped up.

"W-who's there?" she cried out fearfully, her head whipping back and forth in panic.

_Someone who understands you_, the voice murmured. The breeze stroked her dark curls. _Someone like you…_

"No one understands me," she sobbed, tears streaking down her cheek. The breeze wiped a stray tear away.

_Your mother does… but she fears you._

"What do you mean?"

_She fears your true power_, the voice crooned. _That is the real reason she only allows Serenity to view the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, she knows you'll outshine your sister…._

Nehellenia looked back, the pale spires of the Moon Palace glimmering in the darkness. She swallowed, her throat heavy with tears and despair. "No… I'm not worthy of it."

_There is no one worthier, my dear heart_, the voice murmured, now the soothing voice of her mother. _I do not want to break Serenity's heart when she finally knows the truth. You are the true bearer of the crystal._

"I-I am?"

_Yes, my most beloved daughter._

"What do I do, Mama-sama?" she whispered. The breeze caressed her cheek and almost chuckled.

_Show me that you are the true heir, Nehellenia. Show me your strength, your resolve. Show those cruel girls that you are the Queen they are bound to serve…_

* * *

The darkness rumbled with laughter as her shadow withdrew from the pathetic child. Her far reaching gaze watched as the little legs ran as fast as they could towards the silvery palace and she smiled. Her heir was easy to manipulate, her childish dreams of acceptance too easy to influence. Her laughter reverberated along the sides of her prison.

_Soon…_

* * *

**Serenity**  
**~*~**

Serenity giggled along with her group of friends as they sat demurely at the table in the receiving room attached to her chambers. Unobtrusive servants poured tea and left delicious finger foods before they retreated. Serenity looked each in the eye and thanked them as solemnly as an eleven-year-old girl could. The men bowed, while the women curtsied, with fond smiles on their faces. Serenity picked up her tea cup and held it aloft, her sister-princesses following suite.

"A proper lady always thanks those who attend her for their service," she recited, raising her glass. The four Princesses echoed her words and they drank deeply. "Okaa-sama has expanded my studies, mina. She thinks I am ready to begin handling the Ginzuishou."

The girls squealed and leaned forward, their voices tripping over the other as they asked her questions about the illusive crystal. What does it look like? Is it round or lotus shaped as the rumors whispered? Does it really grant the bearer immortality? Serenity laughed with her most trusted friends; girls destined to become her Royal Court.

"There are no words to describe it, "Serenity said, her blue eyes shining with the memory of the glowing crystal. "The Maboroshi no Ginzuishou is…. Everything they say yet not."

"Mysterious, Serenity-hime," Discordia said, a smile on her lips as her purple eyes burned with curiosity. "It is as much as my studies. Okaa-sama is slow with her teachings, I am ready for more but she says a Miko must bend like a slow-moving river."

"She is correct, Mars-hime," Meditrina replied, elegantly sipping her tea as bright blue hair slipped into her eyes. "Dive into your studies slowly, it will aid you in your future endeavors."

"That's easy for you to say, Medi," Sylanna said, as she leaned down, her hand balancing her chin in a very un-lady like manner. "How much further ahead are you in your medical studies? At least a full year ahead of the rest of us. Mother has just allowed me weapons outside the classroom!"

"Sit up straight, Sylanna," Astarte reprimanded as she swatted the taller brown-haired girl. "At least your mother is here to teach you. Okaa-sama is still on Earth, negotiating the betrothal of Prince Attalus to Nehellenia-hime."

"The duties of an Ambassadress are never done," Serenity said with a smile as the Mokusian princess sat up with a huff. "As you will know one day soon, Astarte-chan."

"Has Nehellenia-hime been informed of the negotiations?" Discordia asked slyly as she leaned forward with a hard glint in her eyes. Serenity gave her a sharp look.

"Why must you all treat her with such derisiveness?" she asked, not for the first time. The other princesses looked at each other and shrugged. Astarte looked at her princess, her future Queen and spoke softly.

"She's different, Serenity-hime."

"_There is a darkness in her_," the raven-haired Princess of Mars murmured, her eyes glazing with prophecy. "_A shadow you do not see. One day she will bring ruin to you and your family_."

The other girls looked uncomfortable as Serenity stared open mouthed at the princess who would one day be the Royal Miko of the court. Discordia's eyes returned to their normally glowing selves and she shook her head in confusion, her sight still coming upon her unbidden. She opened her mouth but closed it as Serenity stood.

"You all judge her too harshly," she said firmly, her body shaking in anger. The princesses stood curtsied low to her; their heads bowed in penance. "She is my imouto-hime and a Princess of the Moon. I cannot, I will not, believe she means any harm to us. She is above reproach!"

"Hai, Serenity-hime."

* * *

**Nehellenia**  
**~*~**

Nehellenia crouched behind a pale white column and peered around it, her amber eyes dark with determination as she watched Phoebe, her mother's Mausian advisor, waiting patiently outside the doors of the Holy Room of Prayers. Pheobe's young daughter Luna played at her feet, her gift of shape shifting giving life to a long black cat tail that she swatted with low giggles.

Phoebe looked down fondly but gave a sharp word when the door began to open. Luna immediately stood, the tail shrinking back into her as she curtsied to the Queen. Selenity smiled down at the child, patted her head as the trio turned to retreat down the hall. Nehellenia watched them pass in the shadows and only crept into the light when they disappeared around the bend.

She turned slowly towards the doors of the room she had never been allowed to enter. Her mother had brought her here once as a young child and told her these doors were ever forbidden to her. Her hand formed a fist in anger. Why should Serenity be the only one allowed to gaze upon the crystal, when she was the true bearer? Why would her beloved Mama-sama deny her rightful birthright?

Nehellenia crossed the remaining distance and placed her hand against the door. Power hummed there, she could feel through the thick wood and she took a deep breath before pushing the heavy doors open. She held her hand in front of her eyes as a silvery brilliance blinded her as she crept into the forbidden room.

The crystal floated serenely above a pillow topped pedestal before the three crystal spires of prayer. Nehellenia walked slowly towards it, her amber eyes aglow with the shining light of the crystal. It was open in its lotus form but as she approached it slowly closed into a round ball and the light diminished. Still, it was the most glorious thing she had ever seen.

"Kirei," she whispered as she reached up with trembling fingers.

The crystal pulsed with light until she wrapped her fingers around it. The light oozed out until was completely black and she could hear triumphant laughter within her mind. It filled the room as she gazed mesmerized at the little black ball. Time became irrelevant as the crystal held her in sway. Soon she realized the laughter was coming from her mouth yet she could not stop.

_It's mine, it's finally MINE!_ the voice crowed triumphantly in her head.

The crystal was now bleached the darkest black and it floated malevolently into the air before entering her forehead. Nehellenia began to scream in agony as the voice in head began to shriek victoriously and she gripped her head, pulling at her hair as the pain overwhelmed her. She sank to her knees and rocked back and forth but she stopped suddenly as the doors of the Room of Prayer opened.

**WHITE MOON!** the voice bellowed in her mind as her mother entered.

"Nehellenia, what have you done?" Selenity whispered, her bright blue eyes wide with horror as she regarded her youngest daughter.

Nehellenia stood, unfurling like a marionette as the presence filled her body as well as her mind. Bones cracked and muscles screamed in pain as an evil force contorted her into an unnatural crouching form. A maniacal smile stretched her lips wide and her eyes burned with a millennium's worth of hatred.

"_White Moon…. White Moon_, "she crooned in a sing song tone, her voice no longer her own. Black spittle dripped from her chin as her teeth opened wide and she licked her lips with a long purple pitted tongue, her eyes never leaving the Queen. "_Queen of the White Moon…. You're finally within my grasp…_"

The Queen took a step back but hardened her stance. "Chaos."

"_Yesssss_," she hissed, limping across the room towards the silver-haired Queen. Nehellenia's body protested in agony and her conscious beat at the evil spirit within her to no avail. "_Now that my heir has taken what is rightfully mine, I have no use for you, moon wench_."

The Queen only glared back and held out her hand, the Moon Stick glimmering into existence as she held it across her chest. The crescent moon glowed incandescently but grew no brighter as the Ginzuishou no longer called her master. Selenity Celestine IV, High Queen of the Moon and Silver Millennium tried to call it forth but it was no use, the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou no longer belonged to her.

"Nehellenia, no!" she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears as she dropped the stick and grabbed her daughter by the shoulders. "Fight her!"

"_Good bye…Mother_," she whispered maliciously before violently pushing her away.

Selenity cried out as she slipped on the hem of her dress and fell to the ground, the white gauze billowing out around her. The presence within Nehellenia screamed with victory as she raised her hands, clenched her fists and slammed them down on the ground. The Palace rumbled, floors cracking under her hands before the ceiling collapsed. The last view she had was the forgiving face of her mother before she crumpled under the weight of the rocks.

Nehellenia's spirit stilled like a hare caught in the cross-hairs of a bow before she unleashed a bestial scream. The presence within her scrambled to fight her but Nehellenia's sorrow was too great. Her wails of grief shattered the hold the darkness had upon her and black ooze poured from her mouth, nose and ears. She fell to her knees, heaving with breath and crawled over to her crushed mother, sobbing as she tried to pull the rocks from her.

"Mama! Mama!" she cried out, her hands bleeding as she pulled stone after stone. "**MAMA!**"

Soon the resting visage of the Queen was unearthed and she sat back on her ankles, her tear stained face a mask of pain. The crystal regurgitated from her forehead and sank into her listless hand as she silently gazed upon the face of her mother, serene in death. It was there the guards found her, silent in her mourning and gaze locked on that of her mothers'.

* * *

"I'm afraid the child has slipped into a catatonic state, Your Majesty," the Queen of Mercury said sadly as she slipped surgical gloves from her hands. "Her vitals are strong and nothing has changed, except…"

"Except for the triple moon mark on her forehead," finished the handsome blond-haired Lunarian. He gripped his staff as he gazed beyond the glass of the royal surgery at Nehellenia. Tsukuyomi, King of the Moon, glanced over at the surgical bed that held the body of his beloved wife, covered in a silver shroud.

"As a Princess of the Moon the golden mark is not surprising but what worries me are the two silver crescents," the Suisian Queen continued, as she sat at the Main Eternity System screen and began to file her report. "The Ginzuishou marking her like this is unprecedented…."

The King watched his daughter breathe under the blanket that covered her. Nehellenia had yet to say a word and he chaffed at any delay that would lead him to real reason his beloved wife was murdered. His knuckles blanched white as he gripped his staff in a crushing grip as red tinged his sight as he gazed at Nehellenia.

"Would you like to see your daughter, Your Majesty?" the Royal Physician asked softly, placing a hand on his arm. The King yanked free of her grasp and turned from the surgery. The hatred in his voice was apparent as he strode from the room.

"I only have one daughter and her name is Serenity."

* * *

The darkness screamed in her cauldron as she was ripped back into her prison. Rage filled the void as she slammed against the walls, trying to vainly break them down. Soon she stopped, her spirit dimming in exhaustion and she slumped to the bottom. She gazed up into the darkness beyond, stars blinking like crystals in the vastness of space. All was not lost,she could still feel her connection to her heir yet it was tenuous. She would bide her time until her heir became strong again and then…. Then she would take what was hers.

* * *

To be continued...


	3. Part 2- Somewhere in Between

**Part 2- Somewhere in Between  
****~*~****  
**

**Nehellenia  
****~*~****  
**

The day her mother died was the turning point in Nehellenia's life. The days of laughter, dogging her mother's heels and warm embraces were long gone. The sweet memories of her life before died that day as well. No one knew the circumstances of her death, something that had never happened in the history of the Moon yet the whispers of the court always came back to her. Nehellenia remembered nothing of that day, only that she was found next to her mother's body.

Conversation followed her everywhere. Courtiers and servants alike murmured behind hands or elegantly painted fans at the implications. How could the Queen, protected by the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, die in such circumstances? It was blasphemy, they whispered as their eyes followed her. A betrayal of the highest order. Nehellenia tried in vain to recall what happened but to no avail. The events of that day left her mute and marked in a way that no other Lunarian had ever been. Three crescent moons adorned her forehead, one golden and two of silver. It made her stand out more than her alleged involvement in her mother's death.

Eventually her speech was restored and she returned to court. The stares and rumors followed her everywhere she went but she kept her head down, ignoring them during the day. It was only when the night fell that she cried herself to sleep, the torments of her peers and the constant voices in her in head pushing her towards insanity. The presence was still there, whispering vile things to her and sometimes she could hear her mother, but she knew it was only the presence trying to manipulate her.

Her father never spoke to her again, preferring the silvery companionship of her sister. Nehellenia craved his acceptance, but knew deep down that something had shattered inside her. The King showered Serenity with gifts of gowns and jewels, praising her beauty to all who would listen. Nehellenia was left behind, a pale flower of dark beauty in the cold night yet when she looked to herself in the mirror all she saw an unnaturally formed body and an ugly face, a long purple tongue hanging from her horrified mouth.

She blackened every mirror within her wing of the Palace, a dark and desolate place within the shining halls, as she retreated from contact with her family and peers. She attended court functions but her face was a mask she hid behind. Nehellenia watched with jealous eyes as her sister flowed gracefully from task to task, growing ever more beautiful as she grew into the shape of the woman she would become. Nehellenia coveted that beauty, the ease that Serenity had in her own skin and the world around her. Soon her tormented thoughts circled around only to that- beauty was the key to end her suffering. If she was beautiful, her father would love her. If she was beautiful, her sister would love her and if she had been more beautiful, her mother wouldn't had died.

She grew into a vain and fickle young girl, trying every new tonic or regiment to attain that goal of everlasting beauty. She visited otherworldly witches to purchase their brews and enchantments to ward off aging, for it was that slow decay that burned away beauty, but nothing could slake her thirst. Nehellenia muttered under her breath as she slathered a cream made of the milk of an ass, the newest discovery towards anti-aging, on her already smooth white skin, yet her eyes only saw the blackened and wizened skin of an old crone.

"No, no, no," she mumbled as she paced back and forth in her room as she frantically worked the cream onto her skin.

Her hair was a tangled mess and she wore a threadbare shift as her mumblings became a wordless conversation with herself. She stopped for a moment as she spied Phoebe at her door but resumed the relentless pacing. Phoebe slowly crept into her room, her maroon eyes taking in the empty bottles of creams littered across her vanity table and the complete disorder of the princess' room.

"Nehellenia-hime," she said, her words only receiving the barest of flickers the dark haired girl's eyes. She hardened her voice. "Nehellenia-hime! Your father and sister await your presence in the throne room."

"Hai?" she said absently, her pacing never slowing. Phoebe took the princess by the arms and gently shook her, using a hand to brush away her tangled bangs as she looked pityingly into her eyes.

"The Earthian delegation is here, Nehellenia-hime," she said gently, squeezing her shoulders lightly. "Your presence is required."

"Oh? Oh…" she murmured.

Phoebe sighed and pulled the strange princess towards her wardrobe and dressed her quickly. She hummed as she ran a brush through the tangled hair and she placed her hands against her face, looking deep into her eyes and suppressed a shiver at the triple crescent upon her brow before pulling her into a warm embrace. Nehellenia sank into Phoebe's arms willingly, savoring the human contact and Phoebe felt tears fill her eyes. She pulled back and smiled down at her, running a hand along her tangle free tresses.

"Come, Nehellenia-hime," she said gently, pulling her from the darkened room.

Phoebe led the disturbed princess from her unlit wing and into lightened halls of the Palace. Nehellenia cringed as the sunlight touched her, and she pulled the purple silk cloak that covered her black and cream gown tightly around her so her skin would be spared from the damaging rays. Phoebe patted her hand reassuringly as they stood before the throne room doors and took a step back. The doors opened of their own accord and the duo entered.

"Princess Nehellenia-hime, Princess of the Moon and Silver Millennium!"

The nobles that lined the silver hued carpet that ran up to the dais that held the vacant throne of the Moon bowed or curtsied as she passed. The Queens of the Silver Millennium tipped their heads in respect and the Princess' curtsied, their faces stiff with forced courtesy. Only her father and sister stood beside the empty throne as she stopped before them and curtsied.

"You're late, girl," her father murmured as she stepped up beside him, his back straight and exacting in his condemnation.

"Papa…" she replied, tears in her eyes but he stayed her with a look. "Please accept my apologies, Otou-sama."

The herald cried out again as the doors opened once more to admit the Earthian party. The Queen and King were a lovely dark haired couple yet they seemed uneasy in the presence of such a beautiful race of people. The younger prince looked around in wonder before his father smartened him with a soft word. The prince lengthened his walk and bowed deftly before the Lunarians.

"Greetings, your majesties," King Tsukuyomi said, his voice echoing around the vaulted room. "Welcome to the Moon."

"Arigatou," the King of Earth responded, his Lunarian unsure. "It is our greatest pleasure to be here for this momentous moment."

"The pleasure is ours," Tsukuyomi replied, switching to Earthian easily. "It was ever the dream of my late wife to join our two houses. She would have been proud to greet you here today and welcome you to the Silver Millennium."

"Our thanks, King Tsukuyomi."

The King of the Moon gestured to the Venusian Queen, the Royal Ambassadress, and she recited from memory the treaty that would enter the Earth into the Silver Millennium. Nehellenia started when she heard her name announcing the betrothal of herself and the Prince Attalus Danaus but she looked blankly ahead. She was merely a political puppet but she couldn't help return the curious gaze of the handsome Earthian prince. Her heart contracted within her breast, not from that ever elusive feeling of love but of fear. Was this the fate she was destined for?

* * *

The presence stirred in her prison for the first time in many years. She dreamed slow dreams of torment, sending them to her heir; feeding the darkness within her heart but her strength had waned since she faced the White Moon Queen. Her death was a satisfaction but she was stilled denied her rightful kingdom. Yet something had awakened her slumber. She could feel her connection to her heir quicken as another limitless power moved towards her chosen mortal. It did not have the same taste of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, with its silvery brilliance. It shone almost as bright yet it was more subdued. It felt… golden. It wasn't the prize she coveted but it would do, for now. The presence chuckled darkly to herself and began to plot her next move in this intergalactic game of chess.

* * *

**Serenity  
****~*~****  
**

Serenity smiled serenely as she stood next to her father as nobility of the Silver Millennium mingled with those of the Earth. The Earthian King and Queen had brought a fair sized retinue to the historic meeting and not all of them spoke Lunarian. As the heir apparent to the throne it fell to her to act as translator when the Queen of Venus was busy translating for others and even though her feet ached and her face hurt from smiling she nodded her head to the Prince of Jadeite, welcoming him.

"You mother would be proud, my little beauty," her father murmured, bowing his head to speak into her ear. She felt Nehellenia stiffen next to her.

"Arigatou, Papa," she replied, her eyes fixed on the crowd before her. Prince Attalus approached and held his hand to her sister. She watched as the troubled girl followed the prince and began to dance, a little awkwardly. "Papa. Do you think it's wise to continue with this betrothal? Nehellenia is not… well."

"Your mother worked hard to set this into motion. It would dishonor her memory to withdraw," the King softly, and then muttered under his breath. "And the little chit will finally be gone from my sight."

"Papa!"

"My apologies, my darling. It is only the sorrow that your mother could not be here to see this through that speaks out of turn," he said, yet his eyes said differently. They followed the dark haired princess with hatred.

Serenity sighed but quickly suppressed the frown that crossed her face as the Queen of Neptune stopped for a quiet word. She patted the elder woman's hands as they spoke but her mind never left that of her sister. The day that their mother died changed everything for her. Changed everything for them. She could no longer look at the dark haired girl with a smile in her heart and a fond look on her face. Her young shoulders were not ready to take on the responsibilities the Queen's death had left behind and the resentment had built a stone wall around her heart.

At fifteen she was old enough to engage in the game of courtship but she could only watch from the sidelines as her royal court were wooed by the most eligible of nobles from the Silver MK and beyond. Yet the future Queen held herself aloof, politely rejecting each request for her hand. She knew her father grew tiresome of her refusals but her heart shattered the day she lost her mother… and her sister.

Serenity gave a last sweet smile to the Neptunian Queen as she took her leave and stood straight next to her father. Her eyes, just as his, followed Nehellenia as she waltzed clumsily. She was secretly ashamed that she blamed Nehellenia for ending their tranquil life, whether she had landed the killing blow or not, but she could not force herself to look upon her sister with a warm heart.

Soon she would be gone and she would forever be spared of the visage of the reason she could no longer feel. Serenity smiled adoringly up at her father as he took her hand, the only constant that melted the ice around her heart. The attending court sighed with content as she laid her head upon his shoulder. So long as she had him, she would be have the courage to break free of the past and live once more in the sunlight.

* * *

**Nehellenia  
****~*~****  
**

The ball lasted well into the Lunarian night, the gleaming guests laughing and dancing as they enjoyed the largess of the Royal Lunar family. Nehellenia danced several times with the Prince and each time just as awkward as the first. Her forced solitude had left her graceless with the expectations of societal norms but the Prince was solicitous and patient as he tried in vain to get to know his future bride. Her answers were short and abrasive, not because she was nervous in his company but due to the rise of the murmurs of the presence within her mind. It seethed and hissed, demanding her attention and as soon as she was able, she rushed from the ballroom with no explanation.

Her purple cloak billowed out behind her as the murmuring of the shocked nobles were silenced by the door slamming shut behind her and she traversed the silver corridors of the main wing of the palace. Her hair, which had begun to resume it's tangled form, bounced with each step as she practically ran from the room and from the people who could never understand her. The voice had gained volume and was shouting to turn back, to claw out the golden energy shining from within the prince. She grasped at her temples and fell to her knees, moaning as the voice became an echoing scream in her skull as she whimpered.

"No! Stop please... _Leave me alone_!"

"Nehellenia!" came the sharp voice of her sister from behind. Nehellenia whipped her head around and her whispered silently _White Moon_ as the voice inside her head stilled. "You do the crown disservice by rudely leaving your betrothed without taking proper leave. What am I to do with you, sister?"

"Leave me be," she replied in a toneless voice as she stood and turned her back towards her sister. Serenity circled her until they were face to face and squared her shoulders.

"It would be far less of a burden if I were able to do so, "she said dispassionately. Nehellenia flinched under her words. "However, it is my duty to the Silver Millennium to ensure this treaty with the Earth thrives. It is the legacy of our mother and you act as if though does not matter. Is this how you wish to honor her memory?"

"Do not speak another word to me, sister, of our mother. You and Father have made it very clear how you both feel," Nehellenia sneered as Serenity blanched. "I will marry your Earthian prince and submit to your political machinations, and I will be gone from your royal presence soon enough. Until then, **LEAVE ME ALONE**!"

Nehellenia felt the presence with her swell out and almost take form as she screamed at her sister before she turned on her heal and ran out into the Lunarian night. She followed the ever familiar pull towards where the dark side of the Moon met the light. She fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, as she wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth. The presence within her was merciful silenced as her heart broke.

It was as though her mother died all over again. The memories, and lack thereof, assaulted her fragile mind. She had known for some time that her Otou-sama and sister held her responsible for the Queen's death but never had they made their feelings known so openly. The only family she had left had left her empty and barren like the dark side of the moon. The presence made ready to leap to the chance to influence the young girl but she caught the scent of another chaotic aura heading towards her heir and remained silent.

"Why do you cry, beautiful girl?" came a rasping voice within the shadows. Nehellenia's head whipped up but she could only make out a wizened form in the darkness.

"W-Who are you?"

"Nothing but a withered crone waiting for a Queen to lead her." Nehellenia choked on her pained chuckle and pointed towards the white domed castle.

"There's your queen, in all her glory, "she said resentfully.

"Yes," the voice said thoughtfully. "The stars read that she will be the greatest Queen the Silver Millennium will ever know, yet she will still be second to the Queen of the Crystal Millennium. She is good as she is pure and the crystal of the Gods will bow down to her yet she is not the one I have been waiting for. You are the Queen I have been searching for."

"You're wrong," Nehellenia said dully. "I am just the throwaway princess, fated to just be a pawn in my sister's path to glory."

"I have watched you, girl. Watched as you shred your heart in this same spot over and over again. You are more than just a chess piece, beautiful girl. You are the Queen the darkness has been waiting for."

"S-stop," Nehellenia stammered, as the presence surged within her at those words and she began to cry anew. "You know nothing about me. There's no darkness within me. Only the light, _only the ligh_t!"

"As you say," the crackling voice said with amusement as it faded it further into the darkness. As the figure withdrew a beautiful hand mirror appeared before Nehellenia. "When you feel your dreams ebbing, my beautiful girl, look to this mirror and they will always be within reach. When you are ready to become the Queen of the Dark Moon, I will be waiting for you."

* * *

The presence chuckled at it's good fortune. Who would have guessed that one had survived all those years ago. She had left that elderly crone for dead on the battlefield, the battlefield, with her winged staff laying broken beside her, the centre eye darting back and forth in confusion. Perhaps she should have gone back for her but her own defeat was far too great to concern herself of one of her many followers, they were fodder for the cause after all.

Perhaps madness was not the most direct route to influencing her heir. It left her alone and vulnerable, with no allies to count on.

Perhaps the illusion of love would be of far greater use and the heir already had the perfect suitor within her grasp, whether she knew it or not. The presence could still taste that golden flavor, sweet and powerful. It was not the same as the Ginzuishou but it would lead her down that path. With the golden power she could rise to only a fraction of the power she wielded all those years ago during the war with the Senshi but it would be enough to get what she coveted most. _Yes_, she thought. _Just enough_.

* * *

**Nehellenia  
****~*~****  
**

Nehellenia returned to the castle and sank into a terrible despair. The presence within her thankfully relinquished it's iron grip yet the words the old crone uttered resonated within herself over and over. Queen of the Dark Moon. Nehellenia was at war with herself, a war she would surely loose if she was left to her own devices. Thankfully her duties as the future bride of the future King of Earth slowly consumed her. There were lessons and etiquette to be learned. The traditions of the Earth were much different from the Moon, yet they spoke to her. She spent most of her time now on the vibrant Earth, in the company of her husband to be and began to flourish.

The troubled girl began to disappear. Oh, the vain and fickle girl remained, and her search only widened for the newest tonics the Earth could provide her to remain young and beautiful forever. Attalus showered her with gifts, traveling to the ends of the Earth to fulfill her every whim. He praised her beauty and intellect yet Nehellenia still only saw the old crone in the mirrors, just the throwaway princess. The only mirror that showed her as a beautiful young woman was the hand mirror the decrepit shadow had gifted her with. She spent hours gazing at herself, memorizing every little facet of her beauty so she could hold onto her sanity longer.

The Prince of Earth made her heart speed up, yet it was fleeting. It was as though her heart was trying over hard to love this young man. He was kind and generous to a fault and an astute student in the ways of the monarchy of Earth. He would be an excellent King, one that would usher in a new and prosperous future for his people by entering the Silver Millennium when they were wed. He was handsome and adored her, it should be all the dreams of a young woman coming true. And she wanted this to be her dream, she tried and tried yet it was as though she was being forced into it without her consent. It was as though their whole relationship was fabricated and neither one of them knew.

Still the months flew by and eventually years passed as Nehellenia turned sixteen. A grand fete was held in the Elysion Court, her future home, and for the first time ever, a Lunarian monarch stepped onto Earthian soil. Her father still remained cold and uncaring towards her but her time away from the Moon had cooled her heated relationship with her sister. Their exchanges were terse but the undertone of forgiveness could be heard beneath their words. Once she and Attalus were married, Nehellenia knew that they would be sisters once more. Yet tragedy was always to be her boon companion. Only a month had passed since her birthday and she was once more studying Earthian lore with her teacher, a priest named Helios, when she her world was shattered once more.

"Enter," Helios intoned as a knock on the door interrupted their studies. The Queen herself entered and both student and teacher rose and made obeisance.

"Nehellenia-hime," she began, her chin trembling ever so slightly as she took the girl by her shoulders. The young girl only saw sorrow and pity in the Queen's eyes and began to shake her head. "My child, there is dire news from the Moon. The King... Your father is dead."

* * *

To be continued...


End file.
